Running Amazon ads without a clear structure is one of the biggest reasons brands waste money and fail to scale. Most sellers set up campaigns randomly — mixing match types, ASINs, and objectives — hoping something sticks.
But top 1% sellers do one thing differently:

✅ They follow a campaign layer system that lets them discover what works, scale profitably, and protect their brand.

This guide breaks down that structure step-by-step so you can turn your chaotic ad account into a predictable, scalable machine. If you're serious about profitability, this is the system you need.

The Problem: Most Sellers Run Ads Like Spaghetti

When new sellers start advertising, they tend to throw everything into one campaign:

·        One campaign targets 30+ keywords

·        Broad match mixed with exact match

·        Auto, category, and ASIN targeting all mashed together

·        Multiple ASINs competing inside the same ad group

It creates data pollution, which makes it almost impossible to see which keywords or placements are actually profitable.

Think of it like tangled wires or a bowl of spaghetti — messy, confusing, and inefficient.

A clean campaign structure fixes this instantly:

✅ Less wasted spend
✅ Clear data
✅ Higher profitability
✅ More control
✅ Predictable scaling

The Solution: The 3-Layer Amazon PPC Framework

Top sellers don’t run ads randomly. They use a layered system where each campaign has one job and feeds the next layer with data.

The 3-Layer Framework:

1.       Discovery → Find what converts

2.       Scaling → Double down on winners

3.       Defense → Protect your brand

This structure allows you to move profitable search terms down the funnel while keeping your account organized and efficient.

Layer 1: Discovery — Find What Converts

This is the top of the funnel. The goal here is simple:

🎯 Generate data
🎯 Identify converting keywords and ASINs

This is not the stage to chase profitability. It’s the stage to uncover opportunities.

✅ Discovery Targeting Types

Use all three:

·        Auto Campaigns — Excellent for broad exploration and ASIN harvesting

·        Broad Match Campaigns — Find long-tail variations

·        Category Targeting — Identify competitor or adjacent product opportunities

✅ Expert Tip:

Don’t chase low ACoS here. Chase data.
A keyword that doesn’t look profitable at first may become a top performer once moved to the scaling layer.

✅ Suggested Budget:

10–20% of your total ad budget

This ensures you generate enough data without overspending.

For common ad mistakes to avoid: 5 Mistakes Amazon Sellers Make Before They Even Run Ads

Layer 2: Scaling — Double Down on Winners

Once Discovery reveals what works, you move those proven search terms into dedicated, high-efficiency campaigns.

🎯 Goal: higher profitability
🎯 Goal: higher control
🎯 Goal: maximum ranking impact

✅ Scaling Targeting Types

·        Exact Match Campaigns for your best keywords

·        ASIN Targeting for competitor listings where you convert well

These campaigns should be tightly controlled with clean keyword lists and no mixed match types. If a keyword is profitable and has a good conversion rate, it belongs here.

✅ Expert Tip:

Increase Top-of-Search placement for high ROI keywords.
Top sellers do this strategically to rank faster and protect winning terms.

✅ Suggested Budget:

50–60% of your total budget
This is where most of your money should be spent — on proven winners that actually drive profit.

 

Layer 3: Defense — Protect Your Brand

Once you start ranking or building a brand identity, competitors will target your listings. That’s where defense campaigns come in.

🎯 Goal: Stop competitors from stealing your customers
🎯 Goal: Keep branded searches profitable
🎯 Goal: Improve ACoS by capturing warm traffic

✅ Defense Campaign Types:

·        Branded Keyword Campaigns — Your brand name, product line, and variations

·        Product Targeting Campaigns — Target your own ASINs to block competitors and cross-sell

Defense may not always drive massive volume, but it protects your PPC efficiency and stabilizes your ranking.

✅ Expert Tip:

Keep these always on.
Even top brands spend consistently on defense because once competitors hijack your brand traffic, it’s expensive to win it back.

✅ Suggested Budget:

20–30% of your total budget

Bonus Layer: Retargeting — Powered by AI

Modern Amazon advertising goes beyond search. Retargeting helps you recapture the shoppers who visited your listing but didn’t buy.

It’s one of the most profitable campaign types for mature brands.

✅ Use These Retargeting Tools:

·        Sponsored Display (Views + Purchases remarketing)

·        Amazon DSP (Advanced audience AI segmentation)

These campaigns show ads to:

·        Past visitors

·        Abandoned cart customers

·        Category shoppers

·        Lookalike audiences

✅ Expert Tip:

Let Amazon’s AI handle timing and segmentation — it’s incredibly efficient at serving ads to shoppers when they’re most likely to buy.

✅ Suggested Budget:

5–10% of your budget
(But can scale higher for brands using DSP.)

For brands wanting a deeper advertising strategy: Why You Need a Strategy for Shopify and Amazon

✅ How These Layers Work Together (The Funnel Effect)

Here’s how the system flows:

1.       Discovery finds converting keywords

2.       Scaling uses those keywords to drive profitable sales

3.       Defense protects your most valuable traffic

4.       Retargeting brings back warm audiences to increase ROAS

This layered approach stops overspending and increases ad efficiency over time.

✅ Turn Ad Chaos Into a Scalable System

You don’t need hundreds of campaigns.
You just need the right structure.

When your campaigns follow a clean layered funnel:

·        You reduce wasted spend

·        Your ACoS improves

·        Your keyword data becomes cleaner

·        Scaling becomes predictable

·        Profitability becomes consistent

Most sellers never achieve true scalability because their ad structure is a mess. But with the 3-layer framework, you can finally build a system that works.

For understanding omni-channel growth: Omni-Channel: A Customer-Centric Strategy

✅ Get a Free Amazon PPC Audit (CTA)

If you’re running ads and not sure whether your structure is working, Brandkyte can help.

Get a free Amazon PPC Audit created by an Amazon insider and 7-figure brand owner.
We’ll show you exactly how to clean up your account, restructure your campaigns, and scale profitably.